


Little Brother

by macbyrne



Category: CW Network RPF, Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Book/Movie Fusion, Angsty Schmoop, Community: j2_everafter, M/M, Protective Jared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-04
Updated: 2010-02-04
Packaged: 2018-02-22 16:43:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2514734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/macbyrne/pseuds/macbyrne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His name was Bagheera, the Black Panther, and he feared nothing and no one in all the jungle, but when the wreckage stirred almost under his feet he sprang backwards with a little yowl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for j2_everafter, for The Jungle Book. I borrowed more heavily from Rudyard Kipling's original version than the Disney version. Jared's quote of the Law is stolen directly from Mr. Kipling, may he rest in peace. And now that I think on it, so is the title. *facepalm*.
> 
> Beta'd by the unfathomable taelynhawker.

_Fifteen years ago_  
  
The black panther crept closer to the metal wreckage that had torn through the jungle with a roar louder than Hathi during mating season. He could smell blood, coppery and thick and his mouth would have watered if not for one thing: he could smell Man and no predator worth his salt ate Man. The Law of the Jungle forbade it.  
  
But curiosity drove him onward, for he was a cat in every sense of the word and so he nosed around the wreckage, avoiding the sparking ends of wire and the small fires that still smoldered in the brush.   
  
His name was Bagheera, the Black Panther, and he feared nothing and no one in all the jungle, but when the wreckage stirred almost under his feet he sprang backwards with a little yowl.  
  
“What have you found, Bagheera?” The soft voice held no mockery and so the panther answered without anger, as he would if anyone else had heard him howl like a dog.  
  
“I am not sure, Baloo. Come and help me move this piece?”  
  
The old brown sloth bear padded over to his friend and hooked his large deadly claws, which he used only for finding grubs and other insects, under the piece of metal and gave a great heave. The bear and the giant cat both stared in amazement at what they found underneath.  
  
“What is it, Bagheera?”  
  
“It’s a man’s cub. Alone, if my nose does not deceive me.” The great panther glanced at his friend. “What should we do?”  
  
Baloo stared down at the body lying unconscious before them. “It’ll die if we don’t help it.”  
  
Bagheera nodded. So small, so defenseless. Yes, it would certainly die alone in the jungle.  
  
“Then we’ll help it.”  
  


~*~

  
  
_Now_  
  
Jensen stared out at the jungle that seemed to come right up to the compound and say _howdy_. It was almost claustrophobic, how alive it seemed. He was no stranger to the wilderness; he’d been on research trips into virgin rain forests, he’d survived for over a week on nothing but his two hands and a hatchet in the middle of the Arctic tundra and he’d hiked the Appalachian trail, which he’d almost considered a _vacation_ , but he’d never seen a jungle like this one.  
  
It didn’t matter what he was doing, or where he was, he felt eyes on him, all the time. It had gotten to the point that he was constantly checking over his shoulder, no matter how many times he chided himself that there _was nothing there, goddammit_. The hairs on the back of his neck were in permanent fuck-we’re-about-to-die mode.  
  
He only had three weeks left in his research trip and he had absolutely nothing to show for his time here. His grant money was about to run out and he was no closer to proving his thesis then when he showed up here three months ago.  
  
There were rumors, legends, thin wisps of tales, that there was a man living in these jungles. Raised by beasts from the time he was an infant, the man would be nothing more than an animal if he was still alive. Jensen had been trying to prove that feral children actually existed, that the stories about Romulus and Remus and Tarzan were all actually based in fact. That animals did possess the empathy and the cognizant capabilities to realize that the helpless being in their midst was not prey but something that needed their help. It was a wild theory, one that many of his professors had scoffed at, but Jensen had been able to get the grant funding he needed to follow up on the rumor.   
  
The problem was that Jensen had been here for three months and aside from a massive case of heebie-jeebies, had absolutely no evidence that there was anything even slightly unusual going on in the jungle.   
  
He strapped on his day pack with a sigh. He still had three weeks, goddammit. Rumors didn’t just appear out of nowhere. People didn’t just suddenly decide that there was a wild man living in the woods. There had to be a basis in fact _somewhere_. And Jensen was going to find it.  
  


~*~

  
  
Jensen stared up at the hazy blue sky he could see far above his head. He was totally screwed. He’d chosen a different route this time, heading off into the jungle on what looked like an old overgrown game path, barely discernible through the thick green growth. He’d hacked and slashed his way through the vines and branches that blocked his way, ignoring the mosquitoes that swarmed around his sweat-slicked face. He’d enjoyed breaking his own path, wondering if he was the first person to ever walk through this part of the jungle. The air was so thick he could almost sip the moisture from it as he breathed. He’d gaped at the huge trees, stretching up through the undergrowth until he could barely make out their tops, completely covered in thick vines that were so green they almost hurt to look at. Everything was so incredibly green, so pure. He’d never seen anything like it.  
  
He’d been distracted when he saw a flash of light, reflecting off something metallic. He couldn’t make anything out past that, the growth was too thick. But he headed off the path, curious to see what in this untouched forest could cause such a flare. Then, between one swing of his machete and another, the ground had given way beneath his feet and he was sliding and tumbling down the steep side of a crevasse.  
  
He had landed at the bottom, jarred and breathless, but relatively unscathed except for a goose egg on his forehead and a badly twisted ankle. Badly twisted enough that he couldn’t put any weight on it. Not that it mattered, when there was no way in hell he was going to be climbing up the walls of the cliff he’d just slid down. It was incredibly sheer and he was honestly amazed he was still in one piece.  
  
So, totally screwed. The radio had taken a beating on the trip down and while Jensen wasn't bad at hooking up video game components and home theater systems, he completely sucked when it came to delicate work like taking apart a busted radio and piecing it back together. He couldn’t call for help. No one was scheduled to show up at the compound for another two weeks. If he missed the radio call scheduled in three days, they’d call back three days later and then send out a search party. Which meant he would be stuck here for six days, at least. Six days in a dead-end canyon he couldn’t hike out of with—he checked the contents of his day pack—a couple of energy bars, a bottle of water and some trail mix for company.  
  
It was fine. He could ration the food. He’d gone hungry before and hadn't suffered too badly for it. But the main issue was the lack of water. Without water, he wouldn't last six days. He wouldn't last two.  
  
It was when Jensen heard the first barking cough roll through the jungle that he realized he had greater problems than dying of dehydration.  
  


~*~

  
  
The great black beast simply appeared in front of Jensen. One moment he was alone on the canyon floor and the next he had two hundred pounds of feline practically in his lap.   
  
“Get! Get away!” Jensen tried to scramble to his feet but his ankle buckled under him and he wound up on all fours. The cat didn’t seem particularly perturbed by Jensen’s shout, so Jensen grabbed a handful of rocks—not much more than pebbles really but beggars couldn’t be choosers—and threw them at the predator, wishing vainly for his machete.  
  
The cat moved gracefully, dodging the tiny missiles, muscles roiling under his thick pelt and Jensen couldn’t help but see that the animal was beautiful. Granted, it was going to eat him and then lounge about picking its teeth with his bones, but Jensen was enough of a nature lover to appreciate the gorgeous specimen. In certain lights you could see the pattern in the black coat, looking like watered silk and Jensen could understand why different cultures had worshiped the animal as a god.   
  
Not that he was going to make it easy for the damn thing. He fumbled backwards until his back was pressed against the ravine wall, grabbed two handfuls of the tiny pebbles that were all this damn canyon could be bothered to afford him as weapons and used his good leg to brace himself so that at least he’d meet his death on his feet.  
  
“C’mon then. C’mon!” Jensen bared his teeth at the cat, trying to make himself as big and intimidating as he could. He swallowed hard when the cat yawned at him—showing every tooth in its head, especially the three inch long canines—but threw a few of stones in his hand anyway. He heard one ping off the cat’s tooth and he watched as the feline shook its head in annoyance. It paced back and forth, barely an arm’s reach away from Jensen and he knew if he couldn’t get the cat to retreat he was lunch. Literally. Panthers were opportunistic hunters, he was obviously injured and to the cat, he looked like a nice snack to drag away and save for later.  
  
“You’re not hanging me from a tree, you fucker!”  
  
The cat tossed him a look, opened its mouth and screamed. There was no other word for it. It was an angry sound and he jumped when the cat lashed a paw out at him.  
  
And then the cat… stopped.  
  
It cocked its head, backed off a pace or two and sat down on its haunches. It began lazily licking a paw, swiping it over its head, focusing on its ears, just like a typical house cat.  
  
“You’re taking a bath? Now?”  
  
The cat ignored him.  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
Jensen waited to see what was going to happen next, but the cat ignored him unless Jensen attempted to move from his spot against the wall. Then it rumbled at him, curling its lip up until those gleaming canines showed. Jensen settled against the wall to wait. His palms were sweaty, his stomach was a roiling mass of nerves but he couldn’t deny that he was intensely curious. This was not hunting behavior. This wasn’t _any_ type of behavior he’d ever witnessed or read about in panthers. Animals didn’t toy with their prey, not like this. They didn’t hold their prey at bay, either. He couldn’t figure out what the animal had in mind, except…  
  
If he didn’t know better, he would have said the giant feline was _guarding_ him.  
  
But from what? And why?  
  
He got his answer to the first question when he heard that great rumbling cough again, echoing against the walls of the canyon. The panther was instantly on its feet, glaring at something Jensen couldn’t see beyond the rock wall that curved along the edge of the crevasse. It screamed again, angry and challenging and Jensen flinched back against the wall when a tiger appeared at the mouth of the canyon. It was larger than the panther, but its coat wasn’t as glossy. Instead, it was ragged, thin and bare in patches and the black and orange stripes, which should have been vibrant and striking were dull and dusty. The tiger stalked forward, dragging one leg and Jensen realized that the animal obviously couldn’t hunt its normal prey. It was reduced to scraps, to carrion and apparently, the humans it could find along the way.  
  
The tiger roared again and scuffed one foot through the dirt and dust along the canyon floor. It was a challenge, Jensen could clearly see that. The tiger was challenging the panther for its prey. For _Jensen_.  
  
Shit. He was so fucked.  
  
The panther answered the roar with a low growl of its own, stalking in front of Jensen. The fur along the ridge of its spine was standing straight up, making the black cat look bigger than it was. But the tiger still outweighed it by several hundred pounds. Even with the limp, the tiger had the advantage.  
  
Jensen wondered idly why he was worried about the panther’s chances of winning when it seemed _both_ cats wanted to eat him.  
  
Without warning, the tiger lashed out, fangs and claws gleaming and the panther sprang backwards to avoid the blow, landing right beside Jensen. It looked up at him and Jensen gulped. The panther curled its lip in what was unmistakably a smirk and leapt towards the tiger, claws outstretched and jaws gaping.  
  
The fight was frantic and furious. The panther was faster and fought better, but the tiger had the weight advantage and used it mercilessly. When the panther’s hind legs slipped in the loose gravel of the canyon floor, Jensen’s breath caught. The tiger had the panther pinned in a heartbeat, helpless against the greater weight, though it writhed and fought. Jensen watched, a little horrified as the tiger began to bite down on the panther’s neck and he knew the panther would die in the jaws of the other cat, suffocate or wind up with a broken neck and he couldn’t allow that to happen. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t. He stumbled forward, limping heavily and threw his last handful of pebbles at the tiger. Most bounced harmlessly off the thick coat but one connected solidly with a yellow eye and the tiger dropped the other cat, shaking its head with an angry roar. The panther slumped to the ground, panting heavily, wearily shaking its head. Jensen backed off, limping backwards as quickly as he could, but he knew he had nowhere to go. He was right back where he’d been when this nightmare first started, a big cat about to eat him for dinner and he couldn’t run, he had no weapons, no plan, no chance. The tiger stalked after Jensen, growling angrily.   
  
Jensen’s back hit the ravine wall and the tiger kept coming. He could see the panther trying vainly to get to its feet, but he knew the other cat wouldn’t make it in time. Jensen’s ankle choose that moment to give out on him completely. He was on the ground before he realized what had happened, his face right in front of the tiger.  
  
The tiger made a low, pleased-sounding grunt and Jensen jerked his head away when its breath, smelling of rotting meat and old blood, wafted over his face. The panther scrabbled in the dirt but the tiger never faltered, just sniffed over Jensen’s face as leisurely as if it had all the time in the world.   
  
Jensen watched as the tiger raised one massive paw. He knew the force of the blow would crush his skull, killing him instantly. He closed his eyes and prayed.  
  
When the angry cry echoed through the ravine, he opened his eyes again. The tiger had paused, glancing over its shoulder towards the mouth of the ravine, that one paw still raised.  
  
The panther took advantage of the tiger’s momentary hesitation and raked its claws down the tiger’s flank. The tiger yowled, skittering backward but the panther, rather than following up on its advantage, backed off. It stood between Jensen and the tiger, blocking the larger feline from its access to the helpless human.   
  
The tiger ignored the panther, turning its body instead towards the mouth of the canyon. It roared a warning to whatever was approaching. Jensen wondered what the hell could be approaching that would worry the tiger. A polar bear? Maybe a dinosaur?   
  
When instead of some slavering beast with ten inch fangs and claws made of razorblades a mostly-naked man appeared, Jensen stared in shock.  
  
What the fucking fuck?  
  
With barely a glance at the tiger the man—wearing what looked like a _loin cloth_ —approached a slack-jawed Jensen, who regained enough of his brain cells to croak out a warning.  
  
“Watch out for the tiger, man! And... and the panther...” Jensen’s voice trailed off, because the man would have to be _blind_ to miss the two huge growling felines. But he had to warn him, _had to_ , because the guy was striding forward like there weren’t two gigantic hungry carnivores facing off right in front of him and the guy was practically naked and was only carrying a tiny little knife that looked... really sharp and okay maybe not that tiny. Hell, it looked like a fucking cleaver, now that Jensen was focusing more on it than on his eminent death by big cat. Naked guy was holding it like it was an extension of his hand, his grip loose and fluid. Then he was standing with his back to Jensen, facing the tiger, side by side with the panther. Jensen blinked when the man and cat looked at each other and the panther made a strange chittering noise that the man returned.  
  
And now naked guy was _talking_ to the cat. Jensen had apparently hit his head a lot harder in the fall than he had first thought.  
  
They moved as one, cat and man, flanking the tiger and striking together. The panther attacked from the right, using teeth and claws, the man from the left with his knife. Those first strikes were the only two that Jensen was able to see clearly. After that, everything dissolved into the flash of knife, teeth and claws, the hot copper smell of blood, the deep growls of the tiger, the angry snarls of the panther and the occasional yell from the man, which sounded more amused than anything else.  
  
Jensen’s stomach clenched when the panther dropped back out of the fight, leaving naked guy facing the tiger alone. He crouched low, holding the knife in front of him, weaving it slowly back and forth, never taking his eyes from the tiger’s. He kept up a constant eerie keening that had the hairs on the back of Jensen’s neck standing straight up. He was smeared in blood and dirt and sweat, his eyes cold as he stared down the tiger. He looked completely wild and savage and dangerous.   
  
The tiger and the man moved as one, meeting together in the middle of the ravine with a crash that made Jensen wince. He couldn’t see what was happening when the man fell backwards under the weight of the cat and the damn panther moved to block his view every time he shifted.  
  
“Move, damn you! I want to see!”  
  
The panther ignored him, watching the fight intently. There was a sudden high-pitched cry that cut off abruptly and both combatants went limp. The panther made a worried, inquiring noise under its breath and then appeared to stop breathing entirely when the tiger began to move.  
  
Jensen watched as the bright orange fur rippled. “Oh shit. I am so fucked.”  
  
The panther paced forward, raising its head and tasting the breeze carefully. It paused, sniffed again and then bounded forward with a happy little chirping sound.  
  
“What the hell?”  
  
The tiger’s body rippled again and then a hand appeared from beneath it, waving wildly. The panther made the chirping noise again and began pushing at the tiger’s body. After a moment, the man appeared from beneath the tiger’s massive frame. When he finally wiggled free, Jensen watched as he took a deep breath, reached down and pulled the knife from where it was embedded in the tiger’s belly. Without sparing Jensen so much as a glance, he turned to the panther and started up another ‘conversation’, growling and snarling and hissing, not in the least intimidated when the panther started snarling back.  
  


~*~

  
  
“What the hell were you thinking?”  
  
The cat licked a paw unconcernedly. “What?”  
  
“You were supposed to be watching him, Bagheera! How exactly does that translate into letting Shere Khan almost eat him for lunch?”  
  
Yellow eyes gleamed speculatively at the injured human who was crouching against the ravine wall, avidly watching the conversation being carried out in front on him.  
  
“ _I_ almost ate him for lunch.”  
  
“And that’s another thing! I thought we agreed we weren’t going to let him see us? We were just going to watch, to make sure he didn’t run into trouble!”  
  
Bagheera stood and stalked towards the wildly gesticulating man. “Careful, Little Brother. All these frantic arm movements might make me mistake you for injured prey.”  
  
Jared snorted. “You’ve never mistaken anything, ever. Besides, you’ve told me more than once I don’t have enough meat on my bones to tempt you.”  
  
Bagheera snickered. “True, true. I’d prefer a nice fat buck then to try and gnaw on your sharp bones. Probably break a tooth.” He butted his head against the young man’s hip, letting out a raspy growl when Jared began scratching behind his ear.  
  
“What happened, Bagheera?”  
  
“Well I’ll tell you a story, Little Brother. About a clumsy human who doesn’t explore paths before he goes rampaging madly through them, ignores his instincts when they are screaming at him that he’s being watched and then sits calmly by while both a panther and a tiger are about to make him a light lunch. That’s what happened.”  
  
“You weren’t supposed to try and fight Shere Khan by yourself.”  
  
“Neither were you, but one of us needed to watch your stupid human while you killed Shere Khan. He definitely wasn’t part of the plan. Foolhardy idiot.”  
  
Jared glanced at the wide-eyed man who was watching him and Bagheera so intently. “You didn’t find it brave?”  
  
“Brave?” Bagheera snorted.  
  
Jared nodded slowly. “He stood against you. Against Bagheera, the Black Panther, whom the whole jungle fears, with an injured leg and a handful of pebbles. He tried to help you when Shere Khan was about to kill you.”  
  
The big cat sniffed dismissively. “Shere Khan was _not_ about to kill me.”  
  
Jared chuckled. “Really?”  
  
“Really. And the entire jungle doesn’t fear me.”  
  
Jared crouched down and looped an arm over the cat’s neck. “True. _I_ don’t fear you.”  
  
Bagheera grinned fondly. “Oh, you _are_ a man’s cub. Get on with you then. Go help your little human.”  
  


~*~

  
  
Jensen watched as the wild man approached him, never taking his eyes off the knife he held. He didn’t think the guy was going to gut and eat him now, not after going to all the trouble of killing the tiger. He didn’t _think_.  
  
“Who… who the hell _are_ you?”  
  
The blood-stained man exchanged glances with the cat and began speaking in a language Jensen wasn’t familiar with. He wasn’t sure it _was_ a language. Except… the cat seemed to understand him perfectly.   
  
“I don’t understand you. Can you speak English?”  
  
The man stared at him blankly then reached his free hand down to Jensen. Jensen looked at it for a moment—blood and dirt embedded under the nails, long fingers, wide palm—then reached up to clasp it and let the other man pull him to his feet. He staggered, unable to catch his balance on just one foot and the man grabbed him around the waist to steady him. Jensen swore he heard the cat snicker.  
  
“Can you... can you help me back to the compound?” The man looked at him blankly. “The compound? The research compound? Do you...” Jensen trailed off. “You can’t understand a word I’m saying, can you?”  
  
Bright eyes searched his face, watching his mouth as the words formed. But there was no comprehension in the intelligent gaze.  
  
“This is just fucking great. What the hell do we do now?”  
  
Naked guy gestured towards the entrance of the ravine. Even if Jensen couldn’t speak to him, it was obvious the guy was willing to help him. It wasn’t like he really had a choice, so he nodded and allowed the other man to support him as they limped out of the canyon.  
  


~*~

  
  
It was a long fucking walk.  
  
Jensen was sweating and exhausted by the time they made it to a small clearing, what felt like miles from the ravine. His ankle was absolutely killing him and his head was throbbing in time with his pulse. He couldn’t put any weight on the ankle now and he could tell from the tightness of his boot that it was incredibly swollen. Probably broken, or at the very least badly sprained.   
  
Naked guy didn’t seem to mind carting Jensen’s sweaty ass through the jungle at all. He wasn’t even breathing hard, despite the face he’d been half-carrying Jensen for the last few hours. When his hand slipped off the other man’s shoulder, he would have fallen if the panther hadn’t suddenly been there under his grasping hand, supporting him. He jerked back, a little startled, only to run into the broad chest of his rescuer. Strong hands gripped his arms, holding him up and he let his eyes travel up to meet the amused eyes staring down at him. His arm was draped around the strong shoulder, the arm went around his waist again and he ignored the way his body lit up at the other’s touch. He was just grateful that the other man hadn’t picked him up in his arms. Judging by the strength in the other’s touch, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him.  
  
The light was fading by the time they came to Naked Guy’s home. At least, Jensen assumed it was his home. The structure had four walls and a roof, but that was about all it had going for it. Squat and low, it leaned against a tall tree that probably offered what little structural support it had. The roof looked like it was made of some sort of metal, oddly shaped, almost curved. There was no door or windows. Or, there were, of a sort. Crudely hacked holes in the walls allowed light to enter, but there was no covering, nothing to keep out the weather or insects.  
  
By the time Naked Guy guided Jensen inside and settled him carefully on a heap of soft furs, Jensen was just glad to be sitting down, no matter how rough and humble the setting was. He was completely exhausted and was also a little appalled at his body’s reaction to being close to the other man. He wasn’t some damsel in distress and he certainly wasn’t going to start panting over his own personal Tarzan. Damned if he’d be Jane in this little melodrama.  
  
Jensen glanced around the rudimentary hut from his place on the pile of furs. It was small and dark, but he could still see the tall man gathering supplies together from several rough baskets. His movements were competent and sure, confident. Jensen was completely in the dark. What the hell was going on? Who was this guy? He obviously wasn’t the feral child he’d heard rumors about, not with his ability to communicate and his empathy for Jensen’s situation. But who was he? A hermit? Some crazy schizoid who’d decided to go live with the animals? Maybe a circus performer who’d run away with his pet panther. The last one at least explained the presence of the cat and the connection they had, but not why the panther had helped Jensen.  
  
He jerked back a little, startled when the man knelt in front of Jensen and gently cupped his bad foot. He made a soft shushing noise under his breath, meeting Jensen’s eyes from underneath long bangs and Jensen stilled immediately. His ankle was throbbing painfully, both from the fall and the long walk from the ravine, even with help and he was interested to see what Jungle-Boy here would make of it.  
  
He watched, fascinated, as long nimble fingers made short work of his lacings and then eased the boot from his foot with barely a twinge. They gently rolled his sock down and now Jensen hissed, not because it was particularly painful, but at the sight of his ankle. It was severely swollen. It looked like someone had inserted a baseball under his skin. The bruising was already pretty extensive and Jensen knew just by looking he wouldn’t be putting any weight on his foot for a while. But even more fascinating that the sight of his ankle was the care the other man took with it. He traced strong fingers over the swelling, gently turned Jensen’s ankle this way and that, carefully watching his face for signs of pain. They were all signs of empathy and compassion that shouldn’t be possible in either a feral child or a wild man. To be honest, Jensen should have been in as much danger from a wild child as he was from the tiger. But somehow he knew he was completely safe.  
  
The tall man leaned over and poked his head out the door, making a strange chittering noise that Jensen could barely hear but brought the panther over immediately. Again the pair seemed to hold a conversation, the panther making barely audible growls and rumbles in reply to the soft chirps that the man made. Finally, the panther butted his head against the man in what was obviously a show of affection but still knocked the man over on his ass, gave Jensen a baleful glare and disappeared from sight. Jensen could see the panther vanish into the jungle through the open doorway.  
  
“Where’s he going?”  
  
The man looked up from where he was mixing a poultice for Jensen’s swollen ankle. He cocked his head curiously, hazel eyes bright with intelligence but no comprehension.  
  
“Great. Do you speak English? Hablas español? Parlez-vous français?”  
  
The man shook his head. Jensen understand he wasn’t saying no, just that he didn’t understand.  
  
“Well, let’s start with the basics then. I’m Jensen. JEN-SEN.” Jensen tapped his chest. “Jensen.” Then he reached out and tapped the bare chest in front of him and waited.  
  
What he got was a long, low snarl. It was reminiscent of the panther’s growl. Jensen waited for the punch line, for the guy to start laughing and then actually say his name, but he just kept looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to copy what he’d just done.  
  
Hesitantly, Jensen tried to mimic the other man. He tried to strain his throat around the growls, but he simply couldn’t make anything even approaching the sound he had made.   
  
After a moment, he shook his head. “I can’t, man. I can’t... is that your name? That—that noise? How the hell can that be your name?”  
  
Naked Guy shook his head with a look of frustration. He snarled again, repeating the noise and waiting hopefully, but Jensen simply couldn’t imitate it. He glared at the floor for a moment and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He repeated this several times, even pounding on the ground once with a clenched fist.   
  
“Hey. Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Jensen tried to sooth him. He reached out a hand and patted the naked shoulder awkwardly. “It’s okay, I guess I’ll just have to keep calling you Naked Guy.”  
  
He stilled under Jensen’s hand. He took several long breaths, like a swimmer might before free diving. He glanced up, meeting Jensen’s eyes for a moment, before looking away again. For the first time, Jensen saw something in his eyes that looked like fear.  
  
“Jared.” The name sounded rusty and long-unused, like it had been dragged out of a dark and forgotten place.  
  
Jensen started, surprised. “Jared,” he repeated. “You’re Jared?”  
  
“Jen-sen.”  
  
“Yes, that’s right. I’m Jensen.”  
  
“Jensen.”  
  
He patted the strong shoulder, so pleased at the attempt at communication that he didn’t hear the panther come back until the cat poked its head in the door with a low growl and spat out a wad of green stuff on the reed-covered floor. Jensen jerked his hand back at the censorious look the cat gave him.  
  
Jared immediately picked up the green stuff and started mixing it with some other plants, apparently planning to put it on Jensen’s ankle and Jensen had to veto this because okay, cat spit was just gross.  
  
“Jared, you’re not putting that on my ankle. Dude, you’re just not. That damn thing had it in its _mouth_ , okay? No, just… no.”  
  
Jared of course, paid absolutely no attention and put the entire salad-gone-wrong on Jensen’s ankle, cat spit and all and then wrapped it in rags.   
  
The effect was immediate. It felt like Jensen had just dipped his foot in a tub of ice water and the dulling of the pain caused him to sigh in relief. His entire body relaxed as the pain vanished. His head even stopped thumping. The biggest pain reliever was the smile that crossed Jared’s face as the poultice obviously worked. Jensen’s heart stopped in his chest at the bright grin, the dancing eyes and the dimples, Jesus Christ, _dimples_ in the middle of the jungle.  
  
Jared’s eyes brightened the longer Jensen stared and he could feel a flush rising up his neck to color his cheeks, but he still couldn’t turn away from that grin. It was only when a snarl echoed through the hut and Jared whipped his head in the direction of the noise that Jensen could breathe again, like a noose had suddenly been removed from his neck.   
  
Jared moved quickly, leaving Jensen sitting on the furs like a useless lump. “Hey, where are you going? Jared? Hey!”  
  
Without a backward glance Jared disappeared out the door and he huffed in frustration. “Now what’s going on?”  
  


~*~

  
  
Baloo glared at Bagheera. “What were you thinking, taking on Shere Khan alone like that?”  
  
Bagheera tried to shrug off Baloo’s harsh words. “Baloo—"  
  
“And taking the man-cub into a fight like that?”  
  
“The man-cub has not been a cub for some time, Baloo!”  
  
“The man-cub is standing right here!” Jared interrupted the fight before it could escalate any further and tried to calm his old friend. “Baloo, we’re fine. We’re _both_ fine. Shere Khan is dead. The opportunity wasn’t going to get any better to take out that damned cub-killer.”  
  
Baloo swung his head away, a little angry that he hadn’t been able to help in the fight. When news of Shere Khan’s death had reached him, through some of the smaller Jungle dweller’s gossip, he hadn’t believed it. Hadn’t _wanted_ to believe that Jared had taken on a man-eating tiger without his help, without back-up, without a _plan_. He was just grateful beyond words that neither one of his friends had been hurt. Shere Khan had been deadly in his prime. Age and infirmity had only made him more cunning and ruthless, not less.  
  
When his gaze fell on the door of Jared’s hut and he saw Jensen watching them from the shadows, his eyes widened in shock. “You brought the human here?”  
  
Jared shrugged. “What else was I supposed to do with him? He’s injured and he could have been killed and he saved Bagheera’s _life_ —“  
  
“He did _not_ save my life!”  
  
“—and there was no way he could make it back to the Outpost by himself. I had to help him!”  
  
Baloo rubbed a paw over his face wearily. “Jared. You have to take him back.”  
  
“I will! As soon as he’s better, I will. I promise, Baloo.”  
  
Baloo nodded. He watched as Jared headed back towards the hut and then turned to his old friend. “Well, you got what you wanted.”  
  
“What is that supposed to mean?”  
  
Baloo snorted. “You’ve been trying to get Jared to go back to the man-village for years, ever since Shere Khan started saying he would kill him. Now that the human is here, he’ll go.”  
  
Bagheera shuffled a little uneasily. “Now, Baloo—“  
  
“Don’t ‘now Baloo’ me. He’s in love, Bagheera! The only reason he killed that lame cattle killer was because he threatened the human! He’s been following him all over the jungle for the last three months, making sure he’s safe and now he’ll follow him right back to Man.” Baloo slumped down against the tree. Bagheera shifted over until they were sitting side by side.  
  
“Jared hasn’t been happy here for some time, Baloo. You know that.”  
  
Baloo ignored him.  
  
“I don’t _want_ him to go. But I think he needs to. And if this human is a reason for him to go, then I for one am glad. At least that way he won’t be alone.”  
  
Baloo refused to meet Bagheera’s eyes, but he nodded. “You’re right. I know you’re right. But I’ll miss him if he goes.”  
  
“I will too.”


	2. Chapter 2

“That’s a bear.”  
  
Jared stared at the human in confusion.   
  
“That’s a frigging bear out there, Jared. A bear! And you were talking to it!”  
  
In a slow, faltering voice, Jared said, “He’s my friend.”  
  
“You can speak English? When did you learn English? Where? And what the hell do you mean, your friend?”  
  
“His name is Baloo.”  
  
“Baloo. You’re friends with a bear and a panther and when did you suddenly learn English?”  
  
Jared smiled. “I’ve always known it. I just haven’t spoken it in a long time.” His words were slow, hesitant. Like he had to reach for every word.  
  
Jensen shook his head in confusion. He was suddenly absolutely exhausted, body and brain both and he simply couldn’t muster the energy to try and understand what was happening. Jared’s eyes sharpened as he tried to smother a yawn.  
  
“Lie down, Jensen. Sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”  
  
“I can’t, Jared. This is your bed.”  
  
“We’ll share. I always share with Bagheera and Baloo.” Before Jensen could blink, Jared had him toppled sideways into the furs, still being careful of his ankle. He curled behind Jensen, spooning him, looping an arm over his waist and if Jensen hadn’t been shocked speechless, he would have complained bitterly about being the little spoon.  
  
Jared must have noticed how tense he was, because he tucked Jensen tighter against him and whispered, “Sleep, Jensen. It’s okay. Sleep.”  
  
Jensen inhaled, a long slow deep breath. He tried to calm his traitorous heart, slow his pulse. Jared surrounded him, the feel of his body, the long strong arm around him, his scent. All he could feel was Jared. But it didn’t mean anything. Jared didn’t mean anything sexual by it. He was probably used to sleeping in a pile with his other ‘friends’. The long slow breaths from behind him indicated Jared was already asleep. It was Jensen that was reading more into this then there was, who was treating what was a simple sleeping situation into more, but he couldn’t help it. Jared was _gorgeous_ , all long limbs and smooth muscle, beautiful eyes and a smile that could light up the entire jungle. But he was also innocent and Jensen needed to grab a hold of his galloping libido and quit reading more into this then there was.  
  
He focused on Jared’s breathing, tried to slow his breathing to match his and was asleep before the moon rose above the little hut.  
  


~*~

  
  
The next morning, Jared was up early. Leaving Jensen sleeping peacefully in the furs, he gazed down at the human for a moment, eyes tracing over the long lashes, the full lips, the freckles. It was only when he heard the voice behind him that he turned around.  
  
“So, this is the human you’ve decided to take for a mate.”  
  
“Akela!”  
  
The wolf looked at the man shrewdly. “What? It’s far past time you took a mate, Little Brother. And he looks like a fine match.” Jared hurried away from the hut, not wanting to wake Jensen. The two settled under the tree that afforded a view of the hut’s doorway, so Jared would know when Jensen was awake.  
  
“Maybe. If all of you don’t scare him off first. Between what Baloo and Bagheera have said, I’m really glad he can’t understand you. He’d be running back to his village on one leg.”  
  
Akela chuckled. “Peace, Little Brother. I’ll behave myself and I’ll make sure Baloo and Bagheera do too. But...”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Well, there’s nothing I can say to discourage Kaa.”  
  
“Kaa? What has Kaa been saying?”   
  
“Only that you’ve finally chosen a mate and forgotten to introduce him to Kaa. He’s feeling a bit neglected.”  
  
“How the hell did Kaa find out already? It’s only been a day!”  
  
“What Kaa does not know about the jungle is not worth talking about. And it’s been longer than a day, man-cub. You had this human picked out almost from the moment you laid eyes on him. You need to introduce him to Kaa, sooner rather than later. He keeps saying that he could eat Jensen by mistake, seeing as how he’s never even met him.”  
  
“I’ll bring Jensen to meet him tomorrow then.” Jared settled himself at Akela’s side, biting his lip.  
  
“What is it, Little Brother?”  
  
“Does... does it bother you that Jensen is not a female?”  
  
Akela snorted. “Why would that bother me?”  
  
Jared shrugged, not meeting Akela’s eyes.  
  
Akela licked a forepaw thoughtfully. “I’ve lived long, Little Brother. I led the Seeonee pack longer than any wolf before me. I knew a wolf once whose family despaired because he refused to choose a mate. He was so lonely. Every night he cried to the moon, songs sad enough to make even a hard-headed man-cub weep.”  
  
Jared rolled over and settled his head on Akela’s flank, the better to listen to the story.  
  
“I tried to counsel Seto, tried to get him to pick a mate from among the pack. But he refused. Said that he knew his mate was out there somewhere and he had to wait and be patient. After many seasons a new wolf joined the pack. He had been driven out of his own land because he wanted to mate with another wolf. A male wolf. The council discussed it, argued long and loud. Some said it was unnatural and Giza should be driven away, like his own pack had done. Others said it didn’t matter what one wolf did, as long as it did not harm the Pack. He was a strong wolf, a good hunter and in the end he was allowed to stay.”  
  
Jared smiled softly. “Did Seto and the new wolf fall in love?”  
  
Akela met Jared’s gaze. “Seto waited his whole life for him, but Giza was too afraid of the Free People’s judgment to love another male. Too afraid of being cast out again. Seto died alone. Giza sang the Death song for three days and then followed him to the clearing at the end of the trail.”  
  
Akela gently shook Jared off his flank and stood, stretching his old bones carefully.  
  
“Heed me now, man-cub. Twice before I’ve watched someone I care about die of a broken heart. I never want to do it again. You’re breaking no Law and hurting no one. Love who you want. I’ll love you all the same, as will Bagheera and Baloo and Kaa. You are _our_ man-cub. You always will be.”  
  
Akela nudged Jared’s forehead gently in farewell and then vanished into the forest like he’d never been there. Jared stared after him thoughtfully before heading back into the hut to wake Jensen for breakfast.  
  


~*~

  
  
Jensen awoke to the feeling of eyes watching him intently. Sure enough, Jared was sitting on the edge of the furs, watching him sleep.  
  
He rubbed his eyes. “Dude. Creepy.”  
  
Jared blushed. “Sorry. I’m just not used to seeing people up close.” His speech was clearer, less hesitant, like he didn’t have to try as hard to remember the right word.  
  
He sat up. “When was the last time you saw a person?”  
  
Jared hummed thoughtfully. He held out a piece of dried meat to Jensen. He took it and sniffed it carefully before he gnawed on it. It was good, spicy and salty.   
  
“Probably a couple of seasons ago. There were some hunters. They didn’t belong, kept hunting and killing.” Jared gazed into Jensen’s eyes. “They weren’t supposed to be here. So, we took care of them.”  
  
Jensen flinched at the cold, hard tone of Jared’s voice. “Wh-what do you mean, you took care of them?”  
  
Jared leaned forward, until his nose was almost brushing Jensen’s. His eyes flitted down to Jensen’s lips, then back up to his eyes. He curled his lip back, almost a sneer, before he growled, “We took _care_ of them.”  
  
Jensen jerked back. “What the hell does that mean?” For the first time since the tiger, he felt a spike of fear twist through his stomach.  
  
The fear changed to confusion when Jared fell back laughing. “The look on your face! You should see it!”  
  
“What are you—?”  
  
Jared stopped laughing long enough to twist his face into a parody of fear: eyes wide and glistening, mouth gaping, lower lip trembling. He couldn’t hold it long, too busy laughing like a hyena.   
  
“I don’t look like that!”  
  
“You did! Your face was practically screaming, _Help me, I’m trapped in the jungle with the big bad monster!_ ”  
  
He reached out and punched Jared, hard. “It’s not funny!”  
  
“Ow!” Jared rubbed his shoulder, still laughing. “Oh, come on! You thought we did something to them, admit it!”  
  
He shrugged a little sheepishly. “Well, can you blame me? With the growl and the look and the ‘we took care of them’?”  
  
Jared grinned. “We don’t kill man, Jensen. The Law of the Jungle forbids it. _‘But kill not for pleasure of killing, and seven times never kill man.’_ So Bagheera and Akela and I, we made them think that there were ghosts in the jungle. They ran away.”   
  
“Oh.”  
  
Jared motioned at the chunk of meat in Jensen’s hand. “How’s your breakfast?”  
  
He took another bite. “Good. Really good. Where’s yours?”  
  
“Already ate mine. I like it raw.”  
  
He swallowed the lump of meat in his mouth. It seemed to get stuck halfway down his throat. “Raw?”  
  
Jared nodded, not meeting his eyes for a moment. When he did, Jensen knew.   
  
“You’re screwing with me again, aren’t you?” Jared’s laughter was contagious and he couldn’t hold back a smile.  
  
Jared finally stopped laughing, but the happy grin remained. “You’re just too easy to fool. I can’t help it.”  
  
“Alright, smartass. What are we going to do today?”  
  
“Your ankle isn’t up to the trek back to your home yet, but I think we can make it to see Kaa. He’s sleeping not too far from here and he wants to meet you.”  
  
“Meet me? Who the hell is Kaa and why does he want to meet me?”  
  
Jared became very interested in one of the baskets that lined the wall. “Because you’re my ma— my friend. Because you’re my friend. He knows that I killed Shere Khan yesterday and he wants to see me and my new friend.”  
  
“Huh. Okay. But what is Kaa? Another panther? Or is he a bear too?”  
  
Jared grinned happily. “Wait and see, Jensen. Wait and see.”  
  


~*~

  
  
Jensen followed Jared as he made his way through the jungle. His ankle was tender and sore and it was difficult to put weight on it, but Jared was always close by to lend him a helping hand and it felt good to move around a little. It was nothing like the trek they had made yesterday and Jared stopped several times to give Jensen a chance to rest and catch his breath.  
  
It was during one of these rest stops that Jensen’s curiosity overcame him. They were sitting beneath a huge tree, enjoying its shade and taking gulps of water from the tiny brook beside it, when he asked Jared the question he was dying to know the answer to.  
  
“Jared, how did you come to be here? Living with Baloo and the panther?”  
  
“Bagheera.”  
  
“Bagheera. And Akela. How did that happen? Where is your family?”  
  
Jared smiled sadly. “Baloo and Bagheera and Akela are my family now. But I guess you mean before them?”  
  
“Yes. Where did you come from? Do you remember how you got here? Where did you learn to speak English so well?”  
  
Jared’s eyes were vacant and soft. “I remember we were on a plane. It was silver and the sun bounced off it. It made my eyes hurt. My father borrowed it from a friend. He had gotten his pilot’s license and wanted to fly us over the jungle. Said that the rain forests were vanishing too quickly. He wanted me to see the jungle.”   
  
He laughed huskily. “I don’t think this is what he meant.”  
  
Jensen laid a hand on Jared’s knee. “What happened?”  
  
Jared shrugged and began pulling pieces of grass from underneath the tree. When he had several, he began plaiting them together. “I don’t know. I was in the back. My mother and father were in the... the cockpit?” He looked to Jensen for confirmation of the word, waited for his nod before continuing. “I heard my father shouting something and my mother screamed at me to fasten my seatbelt. Then we crashed.”  
  
Jared was silent for so long that Jensen had to fill the void. “What do you remember next?”  
  
He smiled. “Bagheera. I woke up and Bagheera was carrying me through the jungle.”  
  
“Jesus.”  
  
“I was scared to death. I thought he was going to eat me.”  
  
“I know the feeling,” Jensen said wryly.  
  
“I couldn’t understand him then, of course. But he and Baloo took care of me. They taught me how to talk to them and Baloo taught me the Jungle Law. Akela taught me to hunt and Kaa taught me how to plan. They’re my family now. All the jungle people are my people.”  
  
“Why didn’t they take you to the compound? There would have been people there that could have helped you.”  
  
“They don’t trust Man. Neither do I.”  
  
“What do you mean? Jared, _you’re_ a man.”  
  
Jared laughed. “I’m a wolf. I want no part of man. They come here and take what they have no right to, kill for sport, not food. Why would I be a man?”  
  
Jensen straightened. “Why the hell did you help me, then? If you hate man so much, why did you save me from that tiger?”  
  
Jared shook his head. “Because... because you didn’t trap or hurt or kill any of the Jungle People. You’re not man, you’re Jensen. I watched you. Every day, I followed you through the jungle. You never saw me, but I was there. You never hurt, you just looked.”  
  
“I’m a scientist, not a hunter.”  
  
“I know. I think I knew from the first time I saw you.”  
  
Jensen looked over and watched as Jared’s eyes changed color with the shifting light. Blue to green to hazel. They were the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen.  
  
“Jared...”  
  
“Shere Khan’s been after me since he came back to this part of the jungle. He wanted me dead, said no man-cub could rule the Jungle, that he was Master of all. But he refused every challenge, avoided every fight. Then you came. I watched you and couldn’t stop. Every day you went out and every day I followed you. Shere Khan had spies everywhere. He decided he would kill you to teach me a lesson. I couldn’t let that happen.”  
  
“Why not?” Jensen whispered. His heart was beating so hard he was sure Jared could hear it.  
  
Jared smiled softly. He reached out and traced his fingers over Jensen’s cheek, ghosted softly over his lips. “Because you were mine. From the first time I saw you.” He took Jensen’s hand and tied the grass bracelet he had made around his wrist. “Mine.”  
  
Before Jensen could reply, before he could swallow his racing heartbeat and speak, Jared stood and hauled him to his feet. “C’mon. Kaa will be waiting. It’s never good to keep Kaa waiting. He gets... impatient.”  
  
“Jared, who the hell is Kaa?”  
  


~*~

  
  
Jensen had built up a picture of who Kaa might be, after seeing Bagheera and Baloo. He figured Kaa was another animal who had helped take care of Jared after the plane crash, perhaps a wolf or another bear.   
  
To say he was a little surprised when Jared entered a clearing, made a low hissing noise under his breath and began conversing with the thirty foot python that emerged from the undergrowth, a python that was as twice as wide as Jensen at its thickest point was one hell of an understatement. He stepped back, shocked and scared, because this wasn’t a wolf or a bear, which were bad enough. This was a fucking monster of a snake. And Jared was walking up to it like it was an old friend.  
  
The python rose up out of the coil of its own body, head balancing at Jared’s eye level and Jensen hung back at the edge of the clearing. He had no wish to get closer to those lethal coils and yet it was utterly fascinating to watch Jared _speak_ to the damn thing, apparently carrying on a conversation. He shouted in surprise when the snake pulled back and shoved Jared, battering its head into Jared’s chest, sending him flying backward but Jared only laughed and clambered to his feet, then walked back to the snake and sat amidst the great shifting skin. Jensen watched in amazement as the snake made a living chair out of its body for the man, cradling his broad shoulders in the long living lengths of its scales, until Jared was reclining in the coils, as relaxed as a man in an easy chair at the end of a long day.  
  
“Jensen, come meet Kaa.”  
  
Jensen stepped slowly into the clearing. He wasn’t afraid exactly, since he knew Jared wouldn’t allow anything in the jungle to hurt him but the snake was fucking thirty feet long, for chrissake. He’d have to be an idiot to blithely trip up to it.  
  
Jared began speaking in that low hissing noise again. Jensen stiffened when the snake’s long flat head moved towards him, the forked tongue flickering out almost against his face. He held still as the snake tasted the air around him, fists clenched at his side, before the snake pulled back and laid his head in Jared’s lap.  
  
“Kaa knows your scent now.” Jared said in English, stroking over the broad head with his fingers. “I wanted him to know it, so he wouldn’t mistake you for one of the Bandor-log some dark night.”  
  
“Bandor-log?”  
  
Jared made a scoffing noise. “One of the monkey people.”  
  
The snake, Kaa, made a low hissing noise under his breath and Jensen watched in amazement as Jared blushed. He replied to the comment, smiling softly and shaking his head.  
  
“What did he say?”  
  
“Nothing.” Jared avoided meeting Jensen’s eyes. “He’s acting like a young snake instead of an old Flathead. Ignore him. C’mon, let’s go.”  
  
Jared made another hissing comment and clambered out of the snake’s coils. He brushed a hand over the snake’s head again, an obviously fond motion, before he gestured to Jensen and walked out of the clearing.  
  
Jensen followed Jared from the clearing but he couldn’t help glancing back before he stepped through the trees. The snake was watching him, the cold eyes staring straight at him and Jensen fought a shiver. If he hadn’t had a firm grip on his sanity, he would have sworn the damn thing _winked_ at him.  
  


~*~

  
  
Jensen had been with Jared for two days. Only two days, but it had changed everything for him.   
  
He was completely screwed. Jared should have just left him in the ravine, because his situation had not improved. Okay, sure, he wasn’t about to be eaten by a man-eating tiger, but that was about the only good thing he had going for him.  
  
He had to get back to the compound. The radio call would be coming in shortly and if he wasn’t there to answer it, more people would descend on the area. They’d come looking for him and instead they’d find Jared.  
  
Jensen’s heart shuddered in his chest at the thought of what the science community would do to Jared. He wasn’t a true feral child, seeing as how he was eight when Bagheera and Baloo found him, but he definitely fulfilled all the other aspects of Jensen’s thesis. More actually, because Jensen never considered that one could actually communicate with animals the way that Jared did. Never thought that they would have laws and rules and councils. Never considered that a human could be loved and cared for by so many different animals, the way Jared had been. His theories had only considered one animal or pack caring for a child, not several. Not such different species. But Jared had been raised by a wolf, a bear, a panther and a snake. Species that did not cooperate or co-exist peacefully. But for Jared, they did.   
  
It surprised him that all of the animals Jared called family were predators. He should have been nothing more than prey to them, something to hunt and eat. It seemed the only thing to stop them would have been the law that Jared spoke of, which seemed illusionary at best. It certainly hadn’t stopped the tiger from hunting Jensen or from trying to kill Jared. But the rest of the animals he’d seen and heard about seemed to view Jared as theirs, as their child, their friend. It was utterly fascinating and turned his basic theory into a fascinating case study that he was dying to show to the world.  
  
But in order to publish his thesis, he had to produce proof. Otherwise, it was just a pretty story, a fairy tale for children. And proof meant Jared. He’d have to reveal Jared to the scientific community. Best case scenario was Jared being held in a hospital for evaluation, to determine his cognizance and development. Worst case was Jared dying to protect his family from all the people who would invade his home, scientists and hunters and poachers.   
  
How could he do that? How could he do that to the man he was beginning to suspect he was in love with? The thought of Jared in a hospital, caged, strapped to a bed sickened him. The thought of Jared dead made him feel like his heart was bleeding.  
  
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t. Caging Jared would kill him. Jared dead would kill _Jensen_.  
  
But he couldn’t stay. No thesis meant no grant money, which meant no student visa. He’d have to go home.  
  
Jared bounded into the hut, all that exuberant energy and joy of life and Jensen couldn’t stand it. Not when he didn’t get to keep it. “I’ve gotta get back, Jared. They’re going to be calling the station soon, looking for me.”  
  
Jared’s smile faded, but didn’t disappear. “But... Jensen, I thought you could stay here. With me.”  
  
“I can’t, Jared. I want to. I do. But I can’t. You’ve gotta take me back.  
  
Jared’s smile disappeared so quickly it was frightening and he nodded, his face tight. Jensen gathered his things. Not that he had much; Jared had eaten the energy bars out of his pack the first afternoon, child-like in his delight with the fake-chocolate coating and he’d given the trail mix to Baloo, who had chuffed at him shortly and waddled away, clutching the seeds and raisins in his paw. Jared had translated and said that Baloo was honored. Jensen doubted that but he didn’t argue.  
  
All he had to take with him was a broken radio and an empty water bottle. Not much to show for a life changing experience.  
  
Jared walked with Jensen back to the compound, helping him when Jensen’s ankle began to hurt again during the long walk. Jensen’s throat ached at the way Jared fidgeted the closer they got to the station, obviously uneasy at being so close to a man-made structure. But he followed Jensen inside, watchful as he left the door open, a clear escape route. He waited while Jensen called in to headquarters to let them know he was alive. He was clearly uncomfortable being inside the building, which was nothing like Jared’s homely, homey little hut.   
  
When he’d stalled and wasted as much time as he could, Jensen finally turned to Jared. “You’ve gotta go, Jared.”  
  
Jared shook his head. “No. No, I’ll stay. I’ll stay here with you.”  
  
“Jared, you can’t. You’ve got to leave.”  
  
He glanced at Jensen from the corner of his eye. “I’m coming back tomorrow.”  
  
Jensen started to argue, but finally just nodded in defeat. The new crew wouldn’t arrive for almost three weeks. That gave him another couple of days to convince Jared that he couldn’t stay. Another couple of days to enjoy Jared’s company. Another couple of days to fall farther for him. It was a mistake, but Jensen couldn’t help himself.  
  
“Alright. Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
  
Jensen didn’t sleep well that night. His bed was too soft, too clean. He missed the smell of rough furs, the sounds of the jungle. He missed Jared’s arm around him. He’d always believed that old saying about it taking twenty-one days to form a habit, good or bad. Jared was apparently much more addictive than that. Only two days spent with the other man, two nights sleeping with him, and he already missed him like a limb.  
  
He half hoped Jared wouldn’t show the next day. It would have been easier with a clean break. But Jared did show, ghosting through the compound without a sound. That first day he scared the crap out of Jensen by appearing in the compound yard when Jensen stepped outside. He laughed when Jensen yelped in surprise, but it lacked the normal happy ring of Jared’s laughter.  
  
Jared’s fear of the compound quickly subsided once he’d had a chance to explore it. He was curious about everything, asking questions, looking to Jensen for answers. His mind was razor sharp and Jensen ached for the opportunities Jared had missed out on and was fiercely proud of him for the amazing man he’d become. Jared’s grasp of English was growing in leaps and bounds and he’d even picked up Jensen’s accent, speaking with the soft drawl of Texas in his voice.  
  
Every day Jensen tried to convince Jared not to come back. Every day, Jared shook his head stubbornly, saying he’d be back. Each day he returned, usually accompanied by Bagheera or Akela, the wolf that Jensen had finally met. Baloo didn’t make the trek. Jared said he was too old to waddle so far, and laughed sadly.  
  
Each day, it became harder and harder to say good-bye, the two of them lingering in the yard as the shadows lengthened, talking about everything and nothing, exchanging long glances and lingering touches until Bagheera or Akela would grumble out a complaint and Jared would finally leave. Each night, Jensen stayed awake for hours, reliving every moment of his time with Jared, trying to preserve each memory so it would last forever. So he’d have something to cling to when Jared was gone.  
  
He counted each day, each hour, precious jewels that were slipping through his fingers no matter how tightly he tried to hold on to them.   
  
And then, time ran out.  
  


~*~

  
  
He was waiting for Jared when he arrived the morning of the last day. The research team was due to arrive any day now and Jensen couldn’t take the chance that they might show up early and discover him.  
  
“Jared, you can’t stay. You have to leave and never come back. There will be more people here soon and they might... they might try to hurt you. Do you understand?”  
  
Jared shook his head. “No. I want to stay with you. I want you to stay with me. Come back with me, Jensen. Come home.”  
  
Jensen fought back tears. This was ridiculous. He’d known the man for less than three weeks and leaving him felt like it was tearing holes in his chest. “I can’t. Jared, I can’t. I have to go back. I can’t stay.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
He swiped a hand over his eyes angrily. “Because! Because not everyone can run around the jungle in a fucking loincloth, Jared! I have responsibilities and family and a job and a degree and I can’t just leave all of that to stay here. Just like you can’t leave your responsibilities. You can’t leave and I can’t stay. That’s it.”  
  
But God how he wanted to.  
  
Jared stared at him. “You’re growling and spitting like Bagheera with a thorn in his paw. But you’re not angry, you’re sad. Why are you sad, Jensen? Why do you want me to leave?”  
  
He took a deep breath. “Jared, this is a research center. That means scientists. They’ll want to study you. You’re an incredible find, anthropologically, socially, culturally. They’ll take you away, put you in a hospital, in a cage. I don’t want that. If I can’t be with you, I’d rather know you were safe in the jungle. Safe with your family. Do you... can you understand that?”   
  
Jared shook his head and laid his hand over Jensen’s chest, over his heart. He looked at his hand on Jensen’s shirt for a long moment and then raised his head to look in Jensen’s eyes.  
  
“You want me to go.”  
  
Jensen nodded. “Yes. No. Yes, you have to go. But if I can come back… someday. Maybe I can come back someday. I don’t know. I don’t... Jared, I’ll probably never see you again. I just wanted you to know...” He took a deep breath. He couldn’t say it, he couldn’t. This was good-bye. “Thank you. Thank you for everything, Jared. I’ll miss you.”  
  
Jared nodded sadly. “I’ll miss you too.”  
  
Jensen followed Jared to the door, then to the edge of the compound. He wanted to follow him to the edge of the earth, if only he could.  
  
“Look after Bagheera and Baloo.” _Look after yourself_. But Jensen couldn’t say that. He didn’t have the right.   
  
Jared looked like he heard what Jensen couldn’t say. “I will. Take care of yourself, Jensen.” And with one last look, Jared vanished into the jungle.  
  


~*~

  
  
Jensen _ached_. He missed Jared, missed him like he was air or water, something vital that he wasn’t meant to live without. It felt unnatural not to have Jared beside him.   
  
He’d never been so lonely in his life. He hadn’t ventured out of the center since Jared had left, not even escaping out into the yard. He tried to avoid anything that might remind him of Jared, which was hard since _breathing_ reminded him of Jared. He spent his time trying desperately not to think about what he’d lost, about what he’d given up. Trying not to think about _Jared_. Trying to ignore the grass bracelet that still hung off his wrist, scratchy and itchy and an utter bitch when it got wet, but the thought of taking it off had never crossed his mind.  
  
His bag was packed, his research papers and his abandoned thesis stuffed carelessly beneath pants and folded shirts, a broken radio carefully swaddled at the bottom of the bag like it was so much breakable crystal. He was waiting for the radio call to let him know when the transport would arrive to take him to the airport when the air rang with a familiar scream, a scream he heard again and again in his dreams. This time it wasn’t in his memory, but coming from right outside the compound. He ran to the door, imagining all sorts of things: Jared hurt, Jared bleeding, Jared _dead_ , because why else would Bagheera come to his door? He pulled up short at the image before him.  
  
Jared. Jared, wearing _clothes_ , which shouldn’t have been hotter than Jared in a loin cloth, but somehow was. The suit was ill-fitting, years out of date and Jensen knew it must have belonged to Jared’s father, rescued from that long-ago crash and kept all this time. The pants were long enough for Jared’s insanely long legs, but the shirt didn’t quite fit him through the shoulders. Despite being so tall, he still managed to look like a boy playing dress-up in his father’s clothes. His hair was raggedly cut, like he had hacked at it with his knife and it flopped messily around his face. But it was Jared and Jensen’s heart began beating frantically.  
  
“Jared, what are you doing here?”  
  
Jared struggled with the words for a moment. He stopped and started and even began chattering in the language he used when speaking to Bagheera, before he took a deep breath and started again, this time in English.  
  
“You said you wanted me to be safe with my family. What if my family is here now?”  
  
“Jared—“ Jensen breathed.  
  
“Families protect each other. You wanted me to go, to protect me. You’re my family now.”  
  
“But Jared... what about Baloo and Bagheera? What about Akela and Kaa?”  
  
“They’ll always be my family. They’ll always love me. But... I have to follow my heart. My heart isn’t in the jungle anymore if you’re not there. My heart is where you are, Jensen.”  
  
Jensen was astonished. He wanted this, wanted it so badly, but he knew Jared didn’t understand, couldn’t possibly understand all the consequences of that decision. “Jared, you… you don’t know—“   
  
Jared stepped forward, cupped Jensen’s face in his hands and pressed his lips to Jensen’s. At first it was sweet and undemanding, a first kiss, but then Jared groaned and pressed closer, his tongue flickering against Jensen’s lips, demanding entrance. He opened his mouth and Jared’s tongue curled against his, touching and tasting and his head was spinning, it felt so good. This was Jared, _his_ Jared and he tasted wild and savage and so damn hot he could barely stand it. His fingers were scrabbling under that ill-fitting coat, searching for skin. It was so _wrong_ that he was wearing clothes. Jared should always be naked, he thought muzzily. One of Jared’s hands was on the back of his head, threaded through his hair, the other was on his waist, stroking up under his t-shirt, rubbing his side, his stomach, his ribs. He thought his head would explode from how good it felt. He finally succeeded in getting under that damn suit jacket. He had both hands on Jared’s chest, thumbs rubbing over his nipples in tiny circles. When he felt them harden under his hands he shuddered. He wanted to taste him, wanted to kiss and lick and suck him all over.  
  
The kiss went on and on, hands stroking, kneading, tongues and lips and teeth clashing, each man pulling back, gasping for breath before diving back in. He shuddered and gasped when Jared kissed up his jaw, along his neck to just behind his ear, grazing the sensitive skin with his teeth. He swore when Jared pulled back. “What are you doing? Get back here.”  
  
He stared into Jensen’s eyes. His hand left Jensen’s body, moving up to cup his face. He traced his thumb over Jensen’s kiss swollen, spit-slicked lips. “I want you. Do you want me?”  
  
Jensen understood Jared didn’t just mean physically. He would have known that from the look in Jared’s eyes, even if he didn’t know Jared at all. But he did. He knew Jared, better than anyone and he knew what this meant. It meant change and trouble and upset in his carefully ordered life. It meant things would never be the same again. It meant forever.  
  
He took a deep breath. There was only one answer he could give.  
  
“Always.”  
  
  
 _Fin_


End file.
